Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-01
THE WAY Was wORKEn.
tae scheme by which MrA- James
sreWa Potter WaA Rrozght late
AeteFfety after Several At
tempts - CFeaflaG q
aRnaaffan

6EMnIIA0H.
Ichfea0o Essss
The dramatic endeavor Of Mr.. James
Brown Potter in Europe interests a
great many society people here. where
she ilrst gained a reputation, or rather
a notoriety- / met at the club the other
day gentleman Of prominence who
made confession as to his connection
with the Potter boom.
=. ! had no idea il would turn ont as
i has, he said or ! might have
thought twice before going into Il
However, no harm has been done ~
far. Mrs. Potter has got what she Wa
after, chance on the public stage and
may turn out we'll I'm sure / hone
80. Well, the facts Of the case are
these: Mrs. Potter came over 10 Wash
ington as the guest Of Mrs. Whitney 10
appear in private theatrieals for the
benefit Of a charity. She came with
the expectation and intention OF Great
ing a sensation. Of getting an adyer-
tisement which would make her avail
able as theatrical material. In other
words. she had the stage fever and
knew that il she could get notorietv
enough she might appear in a play a.
a professional without going tbrorgh
the hard school in which Legitimate
actors have % study. The Russian
Honeymoon was the play in which
she appeared at the National Theater.
and although the house was crowded
with a fashionable audience. and Mrs
Potter appeared AZ her best, she did
not make any sort Of sensation. The
honors were carried Off bv Miss Riddle
daughter OF Judge Riddle. ex-member
Of Congress from Ohio, and a Young
fellow named Hubbard. who has ar,-
peared in comic operas.
Mrs Potter was disappointed and
Disguised Through her manipulation
the play was repeated at Baltimore.
but she made no sensation there. Then
she got up charity entertainment at
Mrs. WhitneY's, 70 which the tickets
were SO and sold only TO invited
guests. Ii was announced that the
creme de Ia creme Of washington
would be there, and that the III nj
those who attended would be printed
IN the newspapers, 50 that every seat
was sold. u isn't often one has :
chance 20 get in the catalogue Of the
arlstocracy for SO Well. the British
Minister'S daughter PLAYED a solo on
the either. a member OF the German
legation banged awhile on the piano.
two OF three pretty girls sang love
songs, and Mrs. James Brown Potter
recited 5 poem. Mrs Whitney served
champagne and ices during the per
foTmsHce. and everybody had a good
time. but Mrs. Potter completely failed
again % create the sensation She ex.
peeted
The performance VAS on WedneS-
day night On SATURDAY. an army
officer came TO me and asked II | could
not assist IN working the SUNDAY pa
pers IN the interest Of Mrs Potter
whose husband was an intimate friend
Of his. he said, and would be greatly
gTatlhed AZ any notice his wife received. {
/ WASH 3 in the swim and asked him 20
tell me about the Whitney entertain (
ment-to give me some points 20 work
on He said that Mrs Potter read q
pathetic poem q George r. Sims's
called Ostler Joe, in the same line a.
Hoods One More Unfortunate u
had questioned him some, and soon
discovered i va notoriety the lady
was after; 50 ] suggested that I write
communication accusing her %
shoc king the audience bv reading an
Indecent poem He was frightened
and demonstrated l. would never do
in the world, he said I argued with
him a whlle and showed that such an
attack would bring every friend she
had 20 heF defense. ! convinced him
that & souid be the best sort 81 an ad-
yeTiisenlent, bat be would not consent
- g unta be hsd consulted with Ms
Potter
he jumped IN a cab. rode UP 10
Nhituey's =. and soon returned 20 say
that Mr. Poster was not only willing
- stand the racket, but thought Il was
q splendid scheme. then vent 70 the
Office q the Sunday Capital and asked
the editor e be bad heard what a shock
Ars Potter had caused the arissocracr
By reading poem that was OF color
az the " hItnev reception Of course
be jumped AZ the bait and was fopping
around in q minute He sent an and
rut g copy 81 TIE poem. interviewed
Mrs Potter, who ss}d She hsd no }nten-
ton e. uaeud pgbiic sentiment. snd
a-ied IS Z she was aWfuily sorry she
bad committed such 3 hoTrihie hlua-
der In the meantime 7 had seen the
editors II the ether Sunday papers and
the NeW YORK Cayresp oufsnts and got
them al crazy shout the insult Mr.
Potter haf offered % Washington
soeietv Two q the corrpspor dents .
those ~ the Sun and World. I believe
,elegraFhsl the entire poem g. New
YORK
There j. one Old hen here Who
writes FOR she newspapers who - ST.
Wsvs smelling around To- q scandal
An TIE women urresp1nlents we're
mad b.ersn~e they hai not been asked
fo the private theBfr1cAls and were
tis7rstirE for ven Eeanrc- had the ald
hen. and within few hours there vas
not a woman correspondent hui shat
knew that Ssraeih ~ 6i-gra0efli had
hapnene5 a. Ms Whitney bat theg
eauI1 aas Sad cat exactly what Evs-
- BODY they sent 81 r-ofeSsed irnor- {
anoe szs Is Wzs believed - b. studied
srtempS - keep the sandal puf e rhe .
newspapers some professional c0S-
SIPS Wiukef knowlnEiv an1 Erve the
story q shove 80 that before n .8ntEht
there wAs tire greatest Sarr - senss- +
tian sh5ch &rs Poster gave co}cr o. .
IS 1cniessrE na5vsiv thaE sense pe1Tls 4
ID Chs Th1nk The poem gH c1luv. hl1s .he
had inter ief no harm zn3 it r-ss such .
t-u-hinx iirtie th5us she 3 3 b -hi1x
reou5s aarht 81 - offended Her usrt
"a verv WrH rIsv-3 .na she euisve3
e. eui Z Fut scare5 ~ th- excitement
suvsesf
There E-sE1l s-vthlnz wrong shcgt
Ossler Ice arv more thar there =
~th Hszsl Eirke Or niur-;cufAs x
the rlags 81 re sssHs. ard ERE people
Who hezra 4 re t-ss az Mr. NhIt1ev's
al 1cs suspect sny Irurrou-eiy I'll
sas p4ne-< aezA- - ssik aeoaf it
wees. q coarse thsT chi-re6 IN Ike
sh-ee cd --ews MrS Poster vas Do
Ughtsa WisAsa tsn 6svs every nsws-
papez hs4 her azEle n IL and Ter re'1l-